Online gambling is legal in three states. Four states have active legislation that could allow them to offer legal and regulated U.S. online poker and casino games.

Where do those efforts stand right now?

Michigan online gambling

Michigan represents the newest effort to regulate online gaming in the U.S. As such, it’s the one that has the most optimism behind it.

The bill — SB 889 — was just introduced last week. There has been little in the way of temperature taking, so far, as the bill hasn’t even gotten through a committee hearing.

The good news in Michigan? It already has one form of online gaming: The state offers lottery games over the internet.

The legislature is set to adjourn late next month, so the prospects of passing the bill in the short term might seem bleak, barring a quick turnaround. But adding another state to the iGaming conversation still represents a positive development.

California online poker

California has been looking at the issue of legalizing online poker for the better part of a decade. But 2016 could represent the best chance yet for online gaming in the most populous state.

The 2016 effort differs from the 2015 push in that the horse racing industry could be brought on board with a subsidy in the tens of millions of dollars. That would come inexchange for the horse tracks giving up the right to be an online poker operator.

At the same time, the “bad actor” debate — aka whether PokerStars will be allowed in the California market — appears to have raised its ugly head again. Given the coalitions that have aligned for and against PokerStars in the past, it could stymie online poker’s progress yet again.

The upcoming committee hearing should give us a good idea of whether online poker will happen this year or not.

The bill’s sponsor — Rep. John Payne — has promised in the past that the bill would be considered in the spring, although it has not been taken up yet. (The bill stayed active, however, via a procedural maneuver.)

Until it shows up on the radar in a meaningful way in the next month or two, it’s difficult to know how real of a possibility iGaming is this year.

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Dustin Gouker -
Dustin Gouker has been a sports journalist for more than 15 years, working as a reporter, editor and designer -- including stops at The Washington Post and the D.C. Examiner. He has played poker recreationally for his entire adult life and has written about poker since 2008.